This invention is directed to an instrument for protecting the user of a medical syringe from the hazards of needle pricking and possible contamination often occurring when he is unsheathing, resheathing, and disposing of the syringe needle.
A medical syringe is used for injecting liquids into or withdrawing them from the body. Often during its use the user is accidentally pricked by its needle. He may then be subjected to infection, especially when the syringe has been applied to a person having a communicable disease. One does not always know whether the person is diseased until after the liquid has been examined. Owing to the facts that such dangerous infectious diseases as hepatitis and AIDS are transmitted by blood and other body fluids, the consequences of accidental pricking of the user by the needle can be devastating. Such accidental pricking usually occurs when the user is unsheathing, resheathing or disposing of the needle of the syringe.
The conventional medical syringe has a tubular body provided at its bottom with a tip, known as a luer tip. The conventional needle has a plastic hub at its rear which has a connection with the tip requiring the application of a twisting force to effect a separation of the one from the other. Before being put to use the needle is protectively covered by a tubular sheath. The sheath has a splined engagement with the hub of the needle and may be removed by pulling it away from the hub. And the sheath with the needle attached may be separated from the syringe by manually twisting the syringe relative to the needle. Although unwise and not recommended, occasionally after use the needle is resheathed as a protective measure for its disposal. It is during these actions of the userin unsheathing, resheathing, and disposing of the needle that accidental pricking of the user occurs.
Accordingly, a general object of this invention is to provide an instrument which can be employed by the user of a syringe to enable him to protectively unsheath, resheath and dispose of the needle of a syringe without danger of his being pricked by the needle.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide an instrument in which the sheathed end of a syringe may be inserted and clamped in place so as to enable the user to apply a pulling force on the syringe to effect unsheathing of the needle from the sheath, or to apply a twisting force to the syringe to effect a separation of the needle with the sheath attached from the syringe; and which instrument includes a container at its bottom into which the sheath and needle when removed will drop for disposal upon a releasing of the clamped condition of the sheath.
A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive instrument of simple construction which is practical and efficient for the foregoing purposes.
The invention further lies in the particular structure and arrangement of its components as well as in their mode of association with one another to effect the objects and advantages intended herein.